A Cherokee County jury has sent 47-year-old Nicholas Scott Wrightsman to prison for what prosecutors described as years of calculated sexual abuse involving three young girls. After a four-day trial filled with emotional testimony from victims, relatives and expert witnesses, a Superior Court judge on Tuesday ordered the Woodstock man, who lived near Lake Allatoona, to serve life in prison plus an additional 60 years. The sentence effectively ensures he will never walk free again.
Jurors convicted Wrightsman on April 25 of aggravated child molestation, aggravated sexual battery and nine counts of child molestation. On April 28, Superior Court Judge Jennifer L. Davis handed down the life-plus-60-year sentence, according to FOX 5 Atlanta. Prosecutors laid out what they said was a clear pattern of grooming that escalated into repeated abuse, while Wrightsman took the stand and denied every allegation, the outlet reported.
Prosecutors Say He Groomed Families With Sleepovers
In court, prosecutors said Wrightsman, known to the girls as "Uncle Nick," slowly worked his way into their lives by first winning over their parents, according to WSB-TV. He invited the children to his home near Lake Allatoona for sleepovers and visits, which prosecutors argued helped normalize close physical contact.
Assistant District Attorney Leyna Pope told jurors that Wrightsman relied on gifts, special attention and emotional manipulation to break down boundaries. "He was masterful at not only grooming the girls but also manipulating the parents," Pope said in a statement shared by prosecutors and reported by WSB-TV.
Investigators said the abuse stretched back to around 2020 and involved three girls who were about six years old when it began, according to FOX 5 Atlanta. By the time they disclosed what had happened during forensic interviews, the victims were in their early teens. Prosecutors called 11 witnesses in all, including the three girls, their mothers and child-abuse experts. During sentencing, the court also heard victim impact statements that described lasting trauma and fear the families say they will carry for years to come.
Court Records List The Charges
Court calendars filed with the Cherokee County District Attorney's Office list the case as State of Georgia v. Nicholas S. Wrightsman, case number 21CR0708-JD. The public docket spells out the charges, including aggravated child molestation, aggravated sexual battery and multiple counts of child molestation, and shows the matter set for trial this spring before Judge Jennifer L. Davis. Those records serve as the official roadmap of how the case moved through the court system.
Officials Praise Victims' Courage
Cherokee County District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway publicly commended the three girls for testifying about what happened to them. "These young girls showed extraordinary courage in coming forward and telling the truth about what this defendant did to them," Treadaway said in a statement about the verdict and sentence, as reported by WSB-TV. Prosecutors said the length of the sentence is meant to match the severity of the crimes and the long-term harm described in court.
Officials with the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office and the District Attorney's Office have urged anyone with additional information about Wrightsman or similar conduct to contact investigators. Any future motions or appeals will appear on the public court dockets. For the families who packed the courtroom, the convictions and tough sentence close a major legal chapter, even as the work of healing, therapy and community support continues far beyond the courthouse walls.
